


We Don't Want A Lot For Christmas

by AbschaumNo1



Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas market, Couch Cuddles, Established Relationship, First Kiss, Meet-Cute, Multi, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:22:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28487508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbschaumNo1/pseuds/AbschaumNo1
Summary: Impulse and Zed volunteer at the charity Christmas market, Tango is a regular customer.
Relationships: Zedaph/impulseSV, Zedaph/impulseSV/Tango Tek
Comments: 2
Kudos: 43





	We Don't Want A Lot For Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Holidays to B!  
> This is present part 1 and I thought to myself what better premise than something involving a Christmas market. We need more Christmas market fics in this world.  
> I really hope you like it! <3

It had been Zed’s idea to volunteer at the charity Christmas market, but Impulse hadn’t needed much convincing to agree.  
He regretted it a little when the smell of grilled mushrooms stuck to his clothes, but he had fun with Grian, Ren, xB and Etho, manning the grilled mushroom stand, while Zed was elsewhere on the market selling chocolate covered fruit with his usual cheer.  
And then Zed told him about the guy who came to his stand every day around lunch time.  
“He's really cute, you know?” he said with a sigh as he leaned into Impulse on their couch. “Really the highlight of my day.” He shot Impulse a side-ways look. “Apart from you of course.”  
Impulse laughed. “I'm glad you won't forget about me over this guy,” he said.  
“Oh I could never. After all he's not the one who brings me tea in the morning and knows how to make all my favourite foods. If he figures that out it will be a tough call though.”  
There was laughter in his eyes when he said it, and Impulse smiled when he leaned in to give him a quick kiss.  
“I guess I'll have to make sure he never finds out then,” he said, and Zed laughed as he chased his lips.

Impulse kept hearing about the cute regular, but he didn't actually see or meet him until Zed caught a bad cold and Impulse took over for him. The description matched, blond hair, red eyes, broad shoulders. And Impulse had to agree with Zed, he looked like he gave amazing hugs.  
He looked surprised to see someone other than Zed manning the stand, but Impulse wasn't going to comment on it.  
That was until the guy opened his mouth and said, “You're new.”  
It startled a laugh out of Impulse before he said, “You must be Zed's regular.” The guy blushed.  
“So that's his name,” he said.  
“Yeah. He's got a cold so I'm filling in for him.”  
"Oh. I hope he gets better soon.”  
“I'll make sure to pass it on.” Impulse smiled. “Now what can I get you?”  
“Uhm…” The guy looked at the choices as if he had momentarily forgotten what he was here for, but he caught himself quickly. “Banana please.”  
“Coming right up.”  
Impulse got him his banana and the guy paid, but he hesitated before he left.  
“I'm Tango by the way,” he said.  
Impulse nodded. “I'll pass that on as well. Have a nice day, Tango.”  
Tango smiled. “You too,” he said, before he turned and walked away.  
Impulse could definitely see what Zed had meant when he had gushed about him.

Once Zed was back in action a few days later Impulse didn't see Tango again for a few days until he went to pick up Zed from the chocolate fruit stand one day. Tango must have come around later than usual, because he was standing outside with Zed, chatting.  
Impulse joined them, slipping his arm around Zed's waist and leaning in to kiss his cheek even as Zed turned a little towards him, smiling happily.  
“I was just telling Tango that you'd be around in a moment. We were talking about getting coffee but I wasn't sure if you had anything to finish up at home,” he said.  
“Nothing I can't do later,” Impulse said with a smile. “Coffee sounds good.”  
“Great,” Tango said, though there was something unreadable passing over his face. “I know a good place not far from here.”  
“Lead the way then,” Zed said, and when Tango nodded and turned they easily fell into step with him.

Hanging out with Tango was nice. Whatever had gone through his mind before they had gone to have coffee was gone by the time they were all sitting around a table at the coffee shop he had led them to. He was funny, ridiculous in a way that worked perfectly with Zed’s very own brand of ridiculousness, and Impulse couldn’t help but think that he would need all the patience he had if they hung out more.  
But even past that, it felt comfortable to talk to Tango, almost as if they had known each other longer than they actually had, like old friends almost. It was good and by the time they all went hope Impulse was looking forward to seeing Tango again.  
They met up a few more times over the next couple days, but it wasn’t until Zed told him that Tango hadn’t shown up for his lunch break that Impulse realised how much Zed had started to like Tango. And maybe it should have hurt or made him jealous to realise that his boyfriend was at the very least developing a crush on another guy, but all it did was making Impulse realise how much he himself liked Tango.  
“You really like him, don't you?” he asked gently.  
Zed nodded a little hesitantly, his eyes not meeting Impulse's, as if he was afraid to see what he felt. Impulse smiled and pulled him close so he could tuck his head under Impulse's chin.  
“That's good,” he said. “Me too.”  
He could feel Zed still in his arms before he hugged Impulse tightly and said, “Oh.”  
“We…we should talk to him,” Zed said after a moment. “See what he says.”  
“We will when we see him again.”  
He could feel Zed's lips pull into a smile against his skin as he burrowed closer.

Neither of them saw anything of Tango until a few days later when he came to the grilled mushroom stand for lunch.  
The surprised look he shot Impulse when he saw him made it clear that he had somehow forgotten that Impulse was working here, but he caught himself quickly.  
His smile was tentative when he greeted him, but it was there and hope bloomed in Impulse's chest that whatever reason Tango had had for not being around wasn't that he didn't like them.  
Impulse handed him his food and put his money away and before Tango could turn and disappear again, he said, “You should go visit Zed. He likes you, you know?”  
Tango looked surprised but he nodded. “I'll….I'll do that'” he said, before he cleared his throat and quickly walked away, almost looking like he was fleeing the scene.  
He wasn't there when Impulse went to pick up Zed later, but Zed looked a bit more upbeat than he had earlier, and Impulse smiled when he kissed him.  
“Tango came by,” Zed said happily. “We said we'd meet up tomorrow afternoon.”  
He took Impulse's hand as they started walking towards the exit and added, “I can't wait to tell him.”  
Impulse laughed as he squeezed Zed's hand for a moment. Neither could he.

It felt like the world had decided to conspire against them the next day. It had been cold and rainy all day, and by the time Impulse picked Zed up, the rain had changed from the constant drizzle it had been so far into steady rain.  
Zed looked like he was cold to the bone. He didn't have the luxury of the large pan they grilled the mushrooms in that kept the temperature at their stand comfortable, and the dingy little space heater that was provided to keep Zed from freezing wasn't much help.  
“Are you sure you want to go?” Impulse asked with a frown.  
“I'll be fine,” Zed said, even though Impulse could see him clench his jaw to stop his teeth from chattering. “I just need a warm cup of tea and I'll be good.”  
Impulse sighed. “Let's go then. The sooner we get you that tea the better.”  
Zed nodded and as much as he tried to pretend he wasn't cold, he burrowed into Impulse's side as much as he could as they stepped out into the rain.  
Their luck did not get better and just as they turned onto the street where the coffee shop was the steady rain turned into a torrential downpour and by the time they stepped inside the coffee shop they were both drenched.  
Tango was already sitting at a table, and he frowned when he saw them. But as happy as Impulse was to see him, he was more concerned about Zed who was shivering by now.  
“I'm sorry. We should probably go get home,” he said to Tango and shot him an apologetic look. “He really needs to warm up before he catches a cold.”  
If it hadn't been obvious before, it was clear now that the cold and the rain had been too much for Zed because he didn't even try to protest.  
Tango looked between them, a frown on his face before he shook his head.  
“I live right around the corner. It's probably closer than your place,” he said.  
He looked serious but when his eyes met Impulse's his expression softened into something gentler.  
“I'd feel better if both of you got into something dry and warm quick,” he said.  
Impulse nodded.  
“Okay then,” he said, and Tango's expression got serious again.  
He grabbed his own jacket and waved at the barista behind the counter as they left, his coffee forgotten on the table.  
Tango really lived right around the corner, and only a few metres away from the coffee shop he stopped at a door and unlocked it for them, shooing them inside before he closed it again behind them and led them up the creaking stairs. His apartment was on the first floor, with high ceilings and windows and wooden floors. They stepped into a narrow hallway, most of the doors along it open, letting in the slowly dimming daylight. They all pulled off their boots before Tango practically shoved Impulse and Zed towards the bathroom.  
“Go get in the shower, I'll go find both of you some dry clothes,” he said, and Impulse barely had time to nod before Tango closed the door behind them and he was alone with Zed again.  
Shivers were wracking Zed's entire body now, and Impulse sighed before he quickly got to work on undressing them both, dropping their clothes down onto the floor for now. He held Zed in one arm while he turned on the shower and waited for the water to warm to the right temperature. Once they were inside he made sure to gently rub the feeling back into Zed's limbs, slowly but surely warming him up.  
Tango came in at some point, averting his eyes as much as he could as he put some dry clothes on the closed toilet seat and scooped their wet clothes up from the floor.  
Their eyes met briefly and Impulse shot him a thankful smile before Tango cleared his throat and looked away again.  
“I'll get these in the dryer,” he said, before he quickly walked out again, leaving Impulse and Zed under the warm spray, Impulse's arms wrapped around Zed.

They emerged not too long after, bundled up in Tango's clothes. Tango was just coming out of the kitchen, two steaming mugs in his hands.  
“Oh, you're done right on time,” he said. “I made tea.”  
“Thank you,” Impulse said. “You didn't have to…”  
“No. It's okay. I offered, didn't I?” Tango ducked his head.  
He cleared his throat. “Come on. Let's sit down.”  
They followed him into the living room where he put down the mugs on the coffee table and waited for them to sit down before he handed them a fluffy blanket each and took a seat on the opposite end of the couch.  
Zed bundled himself up immediately but when he picked up his mug he frowned slightly at the space between them and Tango before he scooted over to sit closer to him.  
Tango shot him a surprised look.  
“You're warm,” Zed said, shrugging, and Tango huffed in amusement before he lifted his arm and let Zed burrow into his side.  
Impulse chuckled before he scooted over as well, close enough to have body contact with Zed again.  
“He’ll fall asleep there,” he warned Tango. “He always does.”  
“I won’t,” Zed said, even though Impulse could already see his eyes droop a little more.  
Tango rolled his eyes at both of them. “Drink your tea,” he said. “You both look like you need it.”  
They didn’t argue and soon after they had both silently finished their tea Zed burrowed a little closer to Tango and closed his eyes, falling asleep almost immediately.  
Impulse shook his head with a fond smile.  
“Told you so,” he said fondly, as he reached out to tuck a strand of Zed’s hair behind his ear.  
“I don’t mind,” Tango said softly, clearly trying not to wake Zed.  
Impulse smiled at him. “He really does like you. He only cuddles with people he likes.”  
Tango looked down at Zed and swallowed.  
“You seem surprisingly okay with that,” he said finally.  
Impulse shrugged. “As long as he’s happy. And you make him happy.”  
“Still…”  
“It’s really not that hard,” Impulse said with a gentle smile. “Especially since I like you, too.”  
“Oh,” Tango said. “I…that… me too, you know?”  
“Is that why you disappeared on us?”  
Tango ducked his head in embarrassment.  
“I thought I’d stay away for a bit to figure myself out, you know?” he said. “Because I knew I liked you two but…” He bit his lip before he pushed on. “I just… I saw how happy you are together and how much you love each other and I didn’t want to be the one to ruin that.”  
“You wouldn’t have. You won’t. If you want to give us a chance.”  
Tango swallowed but before he could say anything Impulse had to yawn and his expression softened.  
“You should sleep, too. We’ll talk when everyone is awake,” he said.  
Impulse only nodded. He could feel his eyes close already, and when he leaned into Zed’s side, the last thing he felt before he fell asleep was Tango’s fingers in his hair.

It took Impulse a moment to remember where he was when he woke up again. He was alone on the couch, still wrapped in the blanket Tango had given him earlier, but neither of the other two was anywhere to be seen.  
He could hear their voices drift through the apartment though, talking softly, just barely audible in the living room, so he got up to follow them. He found them in the kitchen, Tango standing at the stove, cooking, while Zed was standing with his back towards the door, his hip leaned against the kitchen counter. He startled a little when Impulse came up from behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist, but he caught himself quickly and relaxed into his embrace.  
“I see you’re done sleeping,” he said.  
“Well I couldn’t keep sleeping all on my own, could I?” Impulse kissed the side of Zed’s neck before he looked up at Tango who had turned a little to look at them, a fond smile on his face.  
“You guys talked yet?” Impulse asked.  
“Not much,” Tango replied with a laugh. “We wanted to wait for you to wake up before we got ahead of ourselves.”  
"Well I’m here now.”  
Another laugh from Tango. “Let’s have dinner first. It’s easier to talk with a full stomach.”  
Impulse pouted at him, but that only made Tango shake his head with a fond smile. When Impulse kept pouting at him he put the wooden spoon he was holding down with a sigh and came over to them.  
“You both are gonna be the death of me, you know?” he said as he stepped close enough for Impulse to reach out and touch him.  
“First Zed, now you. Whatever am I gonna do?” he said, as he reached out to cup Impulse’s cheek and leaned in, until he was pressing his lips against Impulse’s, making Impulse’s eyes flutter shut. He kept it short and sweet and when he moved away Impulse sighed.  
Tango smiled fondly at him. “Dinner first. Then we talk,” he said gently.  
Impulse nodded. He could wait until then.


End file.
